Made in Calgary red stickers point shoppers to local businesses during downturn

Buying local just got easier all you have to do is spot the dot.

The bigred stickers aregoing up in storefronts across Calgary as part ofa new campaign to help homegrown businessesduring the economic downturn.

"It reminds me of the flood in 2013 where we were in a bad situation and, as a city, we pulled together to help eachother out," Travis Martin,co-founder of the Made in Calgary campaign, told the Calgary Eyeopener on Wednesday.

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"We weren't waiting for someone to intervene and save us. But instead, we grabbed a shovel, we grabbed some work boots and we said, 'Hey, who needs help?'"

"When we know a businessis local, that may influence our purchasing decision," said Martin.

The stickersare free to local businesses that got their start in the city and are still headquartered here.

"From the mom-and-pop-shop to somewhere like Good Earth, that has their origins in Calgary and now has spread outside."

The stickers areavailable for pickupat three locations:

• Higher Ground Cafe, 1126 Kensington Road N.W.
• Victoria ParkBRZ, Suite 310,105 12Ave. S.E.
• Little Rock Printing, Suite 124,1011 9 Ave.S.E.

So far, morethan 30 businesses have registered for the campaign. An online map shows where they're located in the city.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener